Cloth-laying machine



Sept. 9, 1947. v w .1: GOLD 2,

I CLOTH LAYING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1944 3 sheets-sheet 1 Inventor gix Jive/2v "601.0, x By Sept. 9, 1947. J. sou: 2,427,275

CLOTH LAYING MACHINE I Filed June 8, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 JET/8B) G040 I nventor 7 J. GOLD CLOTH LAYING MACHINE Sept. 9, 1947.

Filed June 8, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jive/e Y G020,

Inventor Patented Sept. 9, 1947 UNIT-ED STATES PATENT 'OFF'IGEY 2,427,275 l CLOTH-LAYING 'MAQHINE Jerry Gold, Fall River, Mass.

Application June-8, 1944,"Serial.No;535L248 i 1 Claim." (Cl. 270. 31)

This invention relates'to cloth laying machines of a generally similar nature to that constituting the subject matter of United States Patent No. 2,175,823, issued October 10, 1939, upon which the present machine constitutes an improvement.

An important'object ofthe present invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a machine of the aforementioned character comprising unique means for driving the cloth feeding rollers in one direction when said machine is moving either forwardly or rearwardly.

Another very importantobject of this invention is to provide an improved machine which'will make straight, uniform folds at-both endsof the lay without the necessity of I using clamps, catches, etc., as at present.-

Another important object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described which embodies a unique construction and arrangement for supporting the cloth adjacent to and directly above the feed rollers, whereby substantially all tension will be eliminated.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide a cloth laying machine of the character set forth wherein the feed rollers may be readily rendered inoperative when desired.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a cloth laying machine which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly efficient and reliable in operation, compact and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing, and still further objects and advantages of the invention, will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of a cloth laying machine constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a View in front elevation of the machine.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view through one end portion of the shaft of the large feed roller, showing the drive means for said roller.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional View, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an end elevational view of the rollers, showing the passage of the cloth therebetween, a portion of the large roller only being shown.

Referring now to the drawingsin detail, it will be seen that reference character I designates an 2. elongated tableof suitabledimensions. Mounted on one of the 'longitudi-rralzedges of the table -I in spaced relation thereto is a rail '2.

A carriage; 3 isadapted to move back and forth on thertable l. The carriage 3 :comprises a metallic frame aincluding spaced, parallelside bars 4 between 1 which :rods 5 ex-tend. Mounted beneatl'i' 'the"sidebars 4 are front and rear supportingwheels-Ii and I respectivelyl- In-the embodiment which has-ibeen illustrated, the supporting wheelssonzone-sideoff-the carriage 3' are groovedv to travel. on the rail-2 while the Wheels on the'other side-ofsaidcarriage are rubber tired and adapted to-trave1 onthe table- I, as.illus-. tratedto advantage. in- Figure '2 of the-drawings.

Mounted on the forward end portions of the members dot the carriage-3 and rising from-said members is a pair of metallic standardstu Forwardly projecting arms 9 are formed integrally with the lower portions of the standards 8. The standards 8 rotatably support therebetween the roll of cloth I0 to be laid.

A transverse shaft II is journaled in the lower, front portions of the standards 8. Grooved pulleys I2 are loosely mounted on the end portions of the shaft II outwardly of the standards 8. One-way clutches I3 in the form of pawl and ratchet devices connect the shaft II to the pulleys I2 for actuation in opposite directions thereby. The one-way clutches I3 include ratchet wheels I4 which are fixed on the shaft II' closely adjacent the inner sides of the pulleys I2. Pawls I5 on the pulleys I2 are engageable with the ratchet wheels I4. The clutch devices I3 on the opposite sides of the machine are reversed relative to each other for driving the shaft II in the same direction when the machine is moved back and forth on the table I. Fixed on the shaft I I between the standards 8 is a cork covered roller I6. .7

Grooved pulleys I! are secured on the outer sides of the front wheels 6 of the carriage 3. A crossed endless belt I8 drives one of the pulleys I2 from the adjacent pulley H. An uncrossed endless belt I9 drives the other pulley I2 from the corresponding pulley H.

A felt covered pressure roller 20 is journaled between the arms 9 of the standards 8 for adjustment toward and away from the roller I6. The cloth as it is laid passes between the rollers I6 and 20. Means including a hand lever 2I is provided for adjusting the roller 20 toward or away from the roller I6.

It is thought that the operation of the machine will be readily apparent from a considera- 3 tion of theforeg'oing. Briefly, with the cloth frictionally engaged between the rollers l6 and 20, the carriage 3 is moved forwardly on the table I. When this occurs, the roller 16 is driven in a clockwise direction from one of the front wheels 6 through the adjacent clutch device [3, etc. Thus, the cloth from the roll I is fed downwardly to the table I. When the direction of travel of the carriage 3 is reversed on the table I, the aforementioned clutch device becomes inoperative and the other front wheel 6 drives the roller [6, still in a clockwise direction, through the other clutch device I3. It will thus be seen that the drive is accomplished through relatively simple but'efficient pawl and ratchet devices, belt and pulley drives, etc. Mounting of the roll on the forward end portion of the carriage substantially eliminates tension in the cloth and, in addition, weights this end of the machine to ensure sufficient traction for the drive wheels at all times. The absence of tension in the cloth permits the machine to rapidly make uniform folds at both ends of the lay without catches or clamps, this constituting a highly important and desirable feature of the invention. The adjustability of the roller 20 facilitates correct adjustment or regulation of the frictional contact with the cloth to ensure operation at maximum efficiency.

It is believed that the many advantages of a cloth laying machine constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and although a preferred embodiment of the device is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

A cloth laying machine comprising a carriage movable forwardly and rearwardly on a support, said carriage including a frame and front and rear wheels mounted beneath said frame, standards rising from the forward end portion of the frame, said standards for rotatably supporting therebetween a roll of cloth, a cloth feeding roller rotatably mounted between the standards substantially beneath the cloth roll, a pressure roller rotatably mounted on the standards, eccentric means for adjusting said pressure roller toward and away from the feed roller for frictionally engaging the cloth therewith, means including a pawl and ratchet device operatively connecting the feed roller to one of the wheels for actuation in one direction and means including a, second pawl and ratchet device and a crossed belt and pulley connection operatively connecting the feed roller to another of the wheels for actuation in said one direction when the carriage is moved rearwardly on the support.

JERRY GOLD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 641,921 Barton Jan. 23, 1900 1,841,703 Bloch Jan. 19, 1932 1,999,276 Bloch Apr. 30, 1935 481,933 Dobeck Sept. 6, 1892 2,175,823 Breth Oct. 10, 1939 2,276,479 Gilbert Mar. 17, 1942 

